Sometimes even the best pets make the biggest mistakes. Tonight was Tobi’s turn.

It was after 10:30 p.m. when we arrived home after the bon dance and Hubby and I were both exhausted. We were both looking forward to collapsing into bed, but as we started to wind down for the night, I noticed a large wet spot on the comforter on my side of the bed. It looked too large to be drool, so I peeled back layer upon layer and found that the puddle soaked all the way through to the mattress. Tobi the wonder dog had peed on our bed. On our cherished, quite expensive, Tempurpedic bed, mind you.

Hubby immediately started stripping the bed of everything and headed straight for the washing machine. Tobi was nowhere to be found, obviously in hiding.

The first load of laundry, the comforter, was in at 11:00 p.m., which meant that I was going to be up into the wee hours waiting for everything to finish washing and drying. Hubby used a fabric cleaner to do what he could to clean the mattress. Unfortunately, Tempurpedic does not recommend flipping the mattress. Being a clean freak, this bums me out a great deal. I just hope that when it dries that there won’t be a residual smell.

Hubby was quite upset about the ordeal, but frankly, I just felt sorry for Tobi. The neighbors upstairs were making quite a racket (visiting grandchildren stomping around), so I know that Tobi must’ve been frightened — especially since we were away. He often seeks comfort by lying on our bed when we’re not home, even though he’s usually not allowed on our bed. Our bedroom is closest to our parking space, so I suspect that he also likes to stay there to listen for our car. He must’ve been scared out of his wits to have had such an accident, as he’s usually very good about only using the bathroom in his designated spot in the laundry area.

Tobi sheepishly entered the computer room, but was immediately banished to the livingroom — the doggie equivalent of “you’re grounded!” I might have to get a baby gate earlier than expected to block off the bedroom to prevent this from happening again.

The positive side to all of this? It gave me an excuse to stay up late and edit the video from tonight’s bon dance outing which will be available tomorrow for viewing.

Spicy Edamame Tofushi

As I mentioned, I’m totally on this healthy eating / moderately macrobiotic kick lately. So, this morning I took my parents to the Kapiolani Community College (KCC) Farmer’s Market, Down to Earth (Moiliili) and Marukai for a whirlwind health food shopping expedition.

Choy Sum

Today was the first time I’ve ventured to the KCC Farmer’s Market, mainly because I really didn’t have much interest in organic/locally-grown produce in the past. Whatever was available at my neighborhood Long’s or Safeway was pretty much good enough for me. After all, KCC is pretty darned far from where I live and the Farmer’s Market begins and ends early on Saturday mornings (7:30 - 11:00 am). But now that I’ve got a vested interest in eating healthier, I’ve decided to make the effort.

Spicy Ahi Tofushi

First of all, I was shocked to see the droves of patrons and the madhouse that the KCC parking lot becomes at the height of the rush. The stalls seem pretty narrow and it doesn’t help that people driving large SUVs don’t think twice about parking crooked with a tire or two over the line, which renders the neighboring stall useless unless you’re driving a moped. If people took the time to straighten out their car, more parking would be available for others. Can you tell that inconsiderate drivers bug me?

Kimpira Gobo

Despite the grim parking situation, we got lucky and managed to find a stall relatively close to the action. Tons of vendors offering hot food of all kinds, bottled/pickled/preserved fruits and vegetables, fresh cut flowers, plants, and of course, farmers with their fresh produce. If I wasn’t so grouchy after contending with the parking lot situation, I would have taken some photos, but alas, the throngs of people deterred me from taking my camera out of my purse. However, the excitement of discovering new and exciting wares quickly melted my foul mood.

I saw veteran shoppers with collapsible crate carts to roll their purchases in as they browsed the aisles of vendors. (Mental note: Get one!) My poor dad ended up carrying almost everything, since I’m surrounded by people who are ultra-paranoid about me lifting anything these days. So, what did I buy? Papayas, lichee, corn, beets, cabbage, Japanese cucumbers, a green onion plant to grow on my patio, and various prepared foods (2 kinds of tofushi, kimpira gobo, and hijiki).

After the farmer’s market, we headed to Down to Earth in Moiliili where I discovered that shopping organic is anything but cheap. On the up side, I managed to find the elusive organic genmai (brown rice) miso for $8.59 and mugi (barley) miso for $10.49 that I had been looking for. I also purchased a one-ounce bag of agar agar flakes for $8.79 (!).

Our last stop was Marukai, which didn’t hit my pocketbook nearly as hard as Down to Earth. I managed to refrain from picking up a $12 package of Shincha (first harvest) loose tea leaves. They were giving out samples and my affinity for good green tea almost compelled me to buy it, despite my better judgment to avoid caffeine. (The doctor says I can have two servings per day, but I have been trying my best to limit my caffeine intake as much as possible.) I actually had it in my cart, but I put it back before I hit the cash register. I always say that it’s best to have buyer’s remorse before you buy something. It saves time and money.

All in all, it was a very productive day. I attempted the Berry Cherry Parfait with Tofu Cream recipe today. It’s currently setting in my refrigerator as we speak, so I don’t know how it turned out yet. I think I messed up the tofu cream part though, since I ran out of vanilla extract and added an extraneous ingredient (2 T. of brown rice syrup) by mistake. I might pick up a tub of Cool Whip later tonight, just in case I ruined the tofu cream. If it’s photogenic enough, I’ll take a picture later.

On Saturday, Joyce and I attended a macrobiotic cooking class, coordinated by Arnold and instructed by Leslie Ashburn of Macrobiotic Hawaii. She focused on Japanese macrobiotic cooking, which was smack dab in my area of interest. As I’m quickly heading into my last trimester, I am becoming increasingly concerned about my health and how that translates to Baby Champuru.

Leslie demonstrated a number of dishes, encouraging questions and discussion that created an entertaining and engaging class that concluded with participants sampling the delicious fruits of her labor. The dishes were gently flavored and may require your palate to acclimate themselves to the new tastes if you’re more accustomed to feasting on fast food and plate lunches. However, there is no comparison between the feeling you get after eating a macrobiotic lunch and a McDonald’s extra value meal. Even though I ate a TON, I didn’t have that icky, oh-my-gosh-I-feel-miserable feeling that I would normally get after eating a heavy meal. You also leave the table with a good, guilt-free feeling of wellness, knowing that you did something good for your body rather than waddling away thinking “I really shouldn’t have ate that.”

It seems so logical: making that connection between what you eat and how you feel. It’s common sense, right? Not always, especially when convenience is king and hitting the drive-thru is a way of life for many of us who eat on the run. But, what are the long-term consequences for taking these shortcuts? We’re already seeing the effects in the prevalent problem of obesity and poor health. This is definitely not what I want for my child and for my family. I am a big proponent of moderation, so I doubt that I’ll go completely macrobiotic/vegan — but if I can make healthier choices when cooking at home, I believe it will only benefit us in the long run.

Okay, I’m stepping off my soapbox now and getting back to the food.

I was most impressed with the dessert, Berry Cherry Parfait with Tofu Cream, which was made completely without sugar and was so delicious! (In fact, it was so delectable that I am craving it at this very moment!) If the thought of “tofu cream” makes you want to gag, trust me, after tasting it, you would never guess that it was made of tofu. The only down side to the recipe is the difficulty in finding the required ingredients. I was so eager to make this dish that I made a special trip to Down to Earth in search of such foreign ingredients as brown rice syrup and agar agar flakes. Unfortunately, they had neither at the location I visited. I suppose I will have to venture out to the downtown location sometime in the next week or so.

I was able to track down the ingredients for the Dried Daikon and Shiitake Miso Soup, Hijiki, and Tsukemono. I made them on Saturday night and was pleased by how simple they were to make and how well the dishes turned out. I altered the recipes somewhat to my own taste and will probably continue to tweak them as I go. I made the miso soup two days in a row, and the second day’s attempt was better than the first. That will probably end up being a staple in my household. I love the subtle flavor of the broth, which contains no dashi (broth flavored with bonito fish flakes), but rather is made solely with the soaking water from the sengiri daikon and the shiitake mushrooms. I couldn’t find the organic brown rice miso or barley miso that it calls for, so I am hoping that I’ll be able to find it either at the downtown Down to Earth store or perhaps Marukai or Shirokiya.

I’ll share my slightly altered recipe for the miso soup with you. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Sengiri Daikon and Shiitake Miso Soup
1/4 cup dried daikon (sengiri daikon), soaked and chopped
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
6 cups water, including the water that you used to soak the dried vegetables
3 T miso (or to taste)
tofu, cubed
1 t dried wakame
2 green onions, sliced

Soak the sengiri daikon in enough water to cover it, then chop, set aside (saving the soaking water). Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, chop them, and set aside (saving the soaking water). Place the soaking water and fresh water (totaling 6 cups of liquid) into a pot. Add the chopping and sliced daikon and shiitake and bring to a gentle boil. Cover, simmer, and turn heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the cover and take out a small amount of broth from the pot and place into a bowl. Blend with the miso. Pour the pureed miso back into the pot, add tofu and wakame, and simmer gently (without boiling). Serve garnished with sliced green onions.

More recipes can be found on Leslie Ashburn’s website at macrobiotichawaii.com.

Oh, that’s right. I don’t need a spoon to gag. It doesn’t take much for me to start hacking like a cat with a bad hairball.

Tomorrow marks my 16th week: 4 months! But alas, the 24/7 sickness and bionic nose still persist. I truly hope that I won’t be one of those poor souls that experience morning sickness until the day I deliver. That would just be cruel and unusual, if you ask me.

But, I digress. I prayed long and hard for this pregnancy, and by golly, if it takes 9 months of morning sickness to get this thing done, then so be it. It is one of the greatest blessings and miracles of my life and I don’t want to sound ungrateful now. But, it would be nice to be able to eat without fear of barfing. If not for me, at least for the baby. I’m sure the Snowflake would like a taste of okonomiyaki sometime soon, don’t you think?

Oddly enough, I have found one dish that I can eat in fairly large quantities: Chinese-style Cold Ginger Chicken. Since the chicken is boiled and served cold, it doesn’t emit an odor, and the ginger has a calming effect on my tummy without being overtly offensive to my taste buds. (I don’t care much for ginger, but they way they prepare it for the sauce is super yummy.) In fact, I’ve been eating this dish at least once or twice a week at work for lunch for the past few weeks with great results.

I found several recipes for Cold Ginger Chicken on the web and it looks so easy to make, I wonder if it’ll taste as good as the one I buy from my favorite Chinese restaurant? Maybe I’ll try making it over the weekend. Here’s the recipe from the HECO website:

Cold Ginger Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole (3 to 5 lb) chicken fryer
Water
1 cup cubed ginger root
4 to 5 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
3/4 cup salad oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions

Clean and trim excess fat from chicken. Fill a large stockpot 1/2 full of water; bring water to a boil. Add chicken and additional water, if necessary, to completely cover the chicken. Cover and bring water to a boil again. Turn off heat and let stand for 1 hour. Remove chicken from pot and drain. Cover chicken and refrigerate until chilled. Cut chicken into 2 x 1-inch pieces; place in serving dish. Combine ginger and green onions in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add oil, salt, and pepper; chill. To serve, pour ginger mixture over chicken or serve ginger mixture in a separate bowl. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Shirokiya, located in the Ala Moana Shopping Center, is my favorite store of all time — mainly for their wide selection of delightful Japanese fare. Recently, they opened a takoyaki booth. If you’re not familiar with takoyaki, basically they taste like okonomiyaki with a generous piece of octopus in the middle. I had my first, and only, taste of takoyaki while I was in Japan for the Sapporo Snow Festival in 2005. (The link will take you to my Flickr photoset of that particular visit — along with photos of the takoyaki.) The fresh, steaming hot takoyaki was unforgettably delicious and I’ve been hoping to find this delectable snack here in Hawaii ever since, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it being made fresh in Shirokiya.

Despite my morning all-day sickness, I bought a box of 10. The cheerful takoyaki girl convinced me to try the new flavor: cheese. Instead of a piece of ginger, a cube of cream cheese was in the middle, next to the tako. And, we all know that cream cheese makes anything sinfully delicious. As they boxed my takoyaki, they slathered it with sauce and Kewpie mayo, then sprinkled nori and katsuo flakes on it. It looked just like the takoyaki I had in Japan. My mouth was watering. They handed me the box and I could barely handle it, it was so hot. I picked up some manju and mochi and called it a day.

Forty-five minutes later, when I arrived at home, I opened the box and discovered that the beautiful takoyaki had lost its former vigor. Looking soggy and sad, all squished together and appearing quite unappetizing. Despite its appearance, I ate two balls and saved the rest for Hubby. I suppose takoyaki is one of those things that is best eaten fresh. Next time I go to Shirokiya, I’ll make it a point to consume it on premises to avoid the disappointing results of takoyaki that simply doesn’t travel well.

Manapua is one of those delectable treats that I never would have thought I’d attempt to create in my own kitchen. That is, until a friend shared an easy recipe that uses common ingredients that you can find in nearly any local grocery store. It’s totally non-authentic and doesn’t even use char siu filling, but it’s quick and tasty — and you can’t knock that. (I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing the recipe here.)

Ingredients:
1 can corned beef
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup water chestnuts, minced
2-3 tbsp char siu powder mix (I used 2 tbsp of the NOH brand)
4 cans refrigerated Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits (yield: 40 manapua)

Instructions:
1. Mix corned beef, minced water chestnuts, and chopped green onions.
2. Add char siu powder.
3. Sprinkle sugar on cutting board.
4. Flatten biscuit on sugared surface to form 2-inch rounds.
5. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the biscuit.
6. Pinch edges and place pinched side down onto 2-inch square of wax paper.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees OR steam for 15 minutes

You may also place a red dot of food coloring on top of each manapua, but I notice that when steaming, the red dot tends to spread and look messy if you’re not careful. Use the food coloring VERY sparingly.

The photo she showed me of her manapua looked like regular steamed manapua, but mine seemed to be a little more brown and had more indentations. I think it’s the type of Pillsbury dough that I bought. Since they didn’t have the regular buttermilk biscuits, I ended up buying Pillsbury Grands homestyle buttermilk biscuits. The texture of the dough wasn’t smooth and contained little chunks of something (buttermilk?) which contributed to my pockmarked manapua. Nevertheless, the taste was good and that’s all that matters to me.

I steamed all of the manapua tonight and will likely microwave them about 30-60 seconds before serving tomorrow morning at our family potluck.

I also made Lindy’s famous Sun-dried Tomato Dip. (You can order the recipe card at her site. Every single one of her recipes are winners and it’s my go-to collection for potlucks as well as everyday dining.) Tomorrow morning, I’ll make the Swiss Chicken Casserole, another Lindy’s ono recipe that I’m sure the family will love.

Hungry yet?

Hubby’s folks invited us to dinner and movie tonight. Dad-in-law is a fan of Jack Nicholson, so they wanted to see his latest film, The Bucket List, which also stars Morgan Freeman. Although there are some light and humorous moments, the film was touching and brings the viewer face-to-face with the brevity of life and teaches us that we should not wait until we are given 6 months to live before we start checking off items on our “bucket list.” I think I heard someone else sniffling during the movie, but I was the only one walking out of the theater with puffy eyes and a Rudolf nose.

The evening air carried a slight chill and we decided that a steaming bowl of ramen would be a good way to warm the bones, so we walked over to Genki Ramen.

The place was packed, so we ended up sitting at the counter, which isn’t a bad thing, since it’s a good vantage point to watch the cooks whip up our orders.

Mabo Tofu Ramen

I ordered the mabo tofu ramen, which proved to be a good choice. Tasty and slightly spicy, it is a rich ramen dish and a generous portion that I could not finish even on my best day. Another nice thing about Genki Ramen is that you can ask them to exclude the MSG in your ramen, if you wish, which I chose to do.

Beef curry over rice

Everyone agreed that their chosen dishes were very tasty, the service was good, and the prices were reasonable. Genki Ramen gets a thumbs-up all around. Judging by the crowd of patrons, we’re not alone in this assessment.

[tags]ramen, restaurant, Mililani, Hawaii[/tags]